System and Method for Managing Sustainability for an Organization

ABSTRACT

A computer-implemented method for managing sustainability for an organization is disclosed. The method may include storing on one or more memory modules of a computer system a plurality of instances of an ecoActivity object. Each instance of the ecoActivity object may represent an activity of the organization affecting environmental sustainability. The method may further include storing a plurality of instances of an emission factor object. Each instance of the emission factor object may at least partially quantify one or more green house gas emissions as a function of one or more respective metrics. The method may include establishing a computer-based logical link between each one of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object and at least one of the instances of the emission factor object. In certain embodiments, the method may include receiving data representing the metric(s) for the logically linked instance(s) of the emission factor object. For each one of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object, the method may include calculating one or more green house gas emission quantities based at least in part by applying, for the logically linked at least one of the plurality of instances of the emission factor object, the function of the metric(s) to the received metric(s). Additionally, the method may include aggregating together at least some of the green house gas emission quantities. In various embodiments, the method may include transferring data representing the aggregation of the calculated green house gas emission quantities.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/240,968 filed Sep. 9, 2009.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to computer management, and moreparticularly to a system and method for managing sustainability for anorganization.

BACKGROUND

Many business organizations are being pressured to report on theircarbon footprint and to achieve environmental sustainability goals. Thetask of accurately reporting the collective resources consumed andexpended by an organization, however, has considerable complexity forsome organizations. For example, some organizations may engage invarious different types of activities affecting the environment.Additionally, some organizations may have multiple facilities remotelylocated from each other. Various attempts at tracking sustainabilityinformation from diverse sources is often time-consuming and error-proneto the point that efficiently measuring and managing progress towardsustainability goals has traditionally been difficult if not untenable.Another challenge to managing sustainability for an organization is thatsome organizations may have multiple stakeholders with divergentobjectives.

OVERVIEW

According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for managingsustainability for an organization is disclosed. The method may includestoring on one or more memory modules of a computer system a pluralityof instances of an ecoActivity object. Each of the plurality ofinstances of the ecoActivity object may represent an activity of theorganization affecting environmental sustainability. The method mayfurther include storing on the one or more memory modules of thecomputer system a plurality of instances of an emission factor object.Each of the plurality of instances of the emission factor object may atleast partially quantify one or more green house gas emissions as afunction of one or more respective metrics. The method may includeestablishing a computer-based logical link between each one of theplurality of instances of the ecoActivity object and at least one of theplurality of instances of the emission factor object. In certainembodiments, the method may include receiving data representing the oneor more respective metrics for the logically linked at least one of theplurality of instances of the emission factor object. For each one ofthe plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object, the method mayinclude calculating using a computer unit one or more green house gasemission quantities based at least in part by applying, for thelogically linked at least one of the plurality of instances of theemission factor object, the function of the one or more respectivemetrics to the received one or more respective metrics. Additionally,the method may include aggregating together the one or more green housegas emission quantities calculated for at least two of the plurality ofinstances of the ecoActivity object. In various embodiments, the methodmay include transferring data representing the aggregation of the one ormore green house gas emission quantities calculated for the at least twoof the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object.

Certain embodiments may provide one or more technical advantages. Forexample, certain embodiments may enable organizations to tracksubstantially all of their activity that may affect the environmentusing a normalized format, referred to herein as instances of an“ecoActivity” object. In particular embodiments, most or allenterprise-wide activities can be recorded in such a normalized format.This normalized structure may allow recording of various related datathat can later be used as intensity metrics. In particular embodiments,an instance of an ecoActivity object may inherit user-definedcharacteristics depending upon its association with various otherparameters. For example, a user may be able to exploit configuredcharacteristics based upon a facility, underlying source, emissionsfactors, geographic location, activity type, etc. In certainembodiments, the adaptable nature of the design may enable the user toeither exploit the inherited characteristics or override them at theinstance level. Additionally, particular embodiments may provide dataextrapolation capabilities. Certain embodiments may provide all, some,or none of these advantages. Certain embodiments may provide one or moreother technical advantages, one or more of which may be apparent tothose skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions, and claimsincluded herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention andadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A through 1B are example block diagrams illustrating a portion ofa system for managing sustainability according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an example flowchart illustrating steps that may beimplemented at least in part by the system of FIGS. 1A and 1B; and

FIGS. 3 through 10 are example GUI dashboards that may be generated bythe system of FIGS. 1A and 1B according to various embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods formanaging objectives for an organization. In general, particularembodiments may facilitate defining objectives for an organization andmay further provide automated and customizable data collection andfeedback based on a variety of progress indicators. In some embodiments,the feedback may be used to inform a decision-making process and tomaintain or advance the defined objectives. Some embodiments may beimplemented as Software as a Service (SaaS), whereby a provider maylicense and/or host all or a part of an application for use as a serviceon demand. Alternative embodiments may be hosted and implemented locally(e.g., using a standalone program installed at a local machine ornetwork). Particular example embodiments are explained in the context ofobjectives related to environmental sustainability, such as, forexample, managing energy usage, energy spend, and/or greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions for all or a portion of an organization. It should beunderstood at the outset, however, that although example embodiments areexplained in the context of objectives in terms of sustainability,various embodiments may be capable of managing a variety of alternativeobjectives. Additionally, the present disclosure should in no way belimited to the example embodiments, drawings, and techniques disclosed.

FIG. 1A is one example of a block diagram illustrating a portion of adata processing system 100. In particular embodiments, data processingsystem 100 is capable of facilitating the management of sustainabilityfor an organization. In the illustrated example, system 100 generallyincludes a plurality of computing systems 102 coupled together through anetwork 104. As used throughout this document, the term “couple” and/or“coupled” refers to any direct and/or indirect communication between twoor more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contactwith one another.

Each computing system 102 may comprise any computing and/orcommunication device capable of enabling the communication ofinformation to and/or from network 104 or another component in system100. In some embodiments, a particular computing system 102 may enablethe communication of information to and/or receive information from oneor more other computing systems 102 or some other component of system100.

In some cases, each computing system 102 may include any combination ofsoftware, hardware, and/or firmware capable of receiving input,generating data, processing data, recording data, executing logic,and/or enabling the communication of information to and/or from network104 or another component in system 100. For example, particularcomputing systems 102 may include one or more wireless devices, voiceover Internet protocol (IP) devices, desktop computers, laptopcomputers, personal digital assistants, cell-phones, telephones, Wi-Fidevices, workstations, mainframe computers, mini-frame computers,servers (including web servers), routers, data bases, directories, anycombination of the preceding, or any other computing and/orcommunicating devices.

In particular embodiments, computing systems 102 may include one or moredata repositories capable of recording data. The data may be receivedfrom any suitable data source. For example, in certain embodiments thedata may be collected using manual input and/or the data may be providedby one or more meters or sensors. Each meter and/or sensor may becapable of measuring one or more of the following: energy; resource useand/or consumption; physical or environmental characteristics ofcomponents, processes and/or facilities associated with system 100;and/or some other measureable factor related to organizationalobjectives. For example, meters or sensors may be capable of measuringkilowatt-hours of electricity consumed or produced by a facility, carbondioxide emissions produced by a facility, etc.

In various embodiments, system 100 may include one or more meters orsensors. For example, particular meters or sensors may be capable ofgenerating an output based on physical measurements and communicatingthe output to network 104 or another component in system 100. In analternative embodiment, system 100 may use data provided by metersand/or sensors that are external to system 100. For example, the outputof one or more meters and/or sensors external to system 100 may bederived from a statement that accounts for activity of electricity, gas,water, waste, emitted gases, etc.

In these examples, one or more computing systems 102 communicate withone or more other computing systems 102 through network 104. Network 104may comprise any wireless network, wireline network, or combination ofwireless and wireline networks capable of supporting communicationbetween network elements using ground-based and/or space-basedcomponents. In various embodiments, network 104 may be capable oftransmitting audio, video, signals, data, messages, or any combinationof these or other communication signals. For example, network 104 maycomprise a data network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), anintegrated services digital network (ISDN), a local area network (LAN),a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), all or aportion of the global computer network known as the Internet, and/orother communication systems or combination of communication systems atone or more locations. Although FIG. 1 illustrates computing systems 102coupled to each other through network 104, the communication betweensome computing systems 102 may be performed internally, such as, forexample, via a system bus.

FIG. 1B is one example embodiment of a block diagram illustrating aportion of at least one of the computing systems 102 of FIG. 1A. In thisexample, computing system 102 includes at least one memory module 106,processor 108, data storage device 110, input/output functionality 112,and interface 114. Although this embodiment includes memory module 106,processor 108, data storage device 110, input/output functionality 112,and interface 114, other embodiments may exclude one or more of memorymodule 106, processor 108, data storage device 110, input/outputfunctionality 112, and interface 114 without departing from the scope ofthe present disclosure.

In this embodiment, computing system 102 may include a managerapplication 150 residing in memory module 106. Manager application 150may comprise, for example, software, firmware, code, portions of code,data compilations, content, and/or a combination of these or any othertype of data. As explained further below, manager application 150 mayinclude a variety of software objects and a module for generatinggraphical user interface (GUI) dashboards 152. Although managerapplication 150 resides within memory module 106 in this example, all ora portion of manager application 150 may alternatively reside at anyother suitable location, such as, for example, external to memory module106 and/or external to computing system 102. In some embodiments,manager application 150 may be embodied or recorded on any of a varietyof other suitable tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium,such as, for example, removable computer-readable media. In particularembodiments, manager application 150 may be hosted at one or morecomputing systems 102 under a SaaS model of software deployment. Thecomputing systems 102 hosting manager application 150 may, for example,be configured to receive data communicated via network 104 from othercomputing systems 102. Alternative embodiments may be hosted andimplemented locally (e.g., using a standalone program installed at alocal machine or network).

In various embodiments, manager application 150 may be structurallyand/or functionally interrelated to particular tangible, non-transitorycomputer-readable media in the form of memory module 106 or othertangible, non-transitory computer-readable media, whichcomputer-readable media may at least partially enable the functions ofmanager application 150 to be realized. Additionally, managerapplication 150 may be structurally and/or functionally interrelated toone or more processors 108. Processor 108 may refer, for example, to theportion of computing system 102 capable of carrying out instructions ofa computer program. In certain embodiments, processor 108 may comprisethe primary element or elements executing or realizing variouslogic-based functions, including, for example, the functions of managerapplication 150.

In operation of particular embodiments, the execution of managerapplication 150 by one or more processors 108 may facilitate definingobjectives of for organization in terms of environmental sustainability.Additionally, manager application 150 may be capable of providingcustomizable data collection and feedback based on a variety of progressindicators. The feedback may be presented to the user in a customizableGUI format that enables a number of different hierarchical views of anorganization's progress with regards to sustainability objectives. Thefeedback may also be used to inform a decision-making process and tomaintain or advance the defined objectives.

Computing system 102 may also comprise one or more memory modules 106and/or data storage devices 110. These memory modules 106 and/or datastorage devices 110 may comprise any hardware, software, firmware, orcombination thereof operable to store and facilitate retrieval ofinformation. The one or more modules 106 and/or data storage devices 110may store information using any of a variety of information structures,arrangements, and/or compilations. Memory module 106 may, for example,comprise a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random accessmemory (SRAM), a NAND flash memory, or any other suitable volatile ornonvolatile storage and retrieval device or combination of devices. Datastorage device 110 may comprise, for example, one or more databases,computer components, devices, and/or recording media capable ofretaining digital data. Data storage device 110 may, for example,comprise a magnetic data storage device (e.g., a diskette or a hard diskdrive), an optical disc storage medium (e.g., a Laserdisc), amagneto-optical disc-based data storage device (e.g., a MiniDisc), adynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory(SRAM), a NAND flash memory, or any other suitable volatile ornonvolatile storage and retrieval device or combination of devices.

The one or more memory modules 106 and/or data storage devices 110 maycomprise any number of storage media without departing from the scope ofthe present disclosure. Additionally, all or part of the one or morememory modules 106 and/or data storage devices 110 could reside locallywithin computer system 102 or could reside in a location remote from andaccessible to computer system 102 (e.g., at some other computing system102, within removable media, and/or at an external database). Computingsystems 102 could communicate with the one or more memory modules 106and/or data storage devices 110 through network 104 or, in otherembodiments, computing system 102 could communicate with the one or morememory modules 106 and/or data storage devices 110 using direct links.

Input/output (“I/O”) functionality 112 may comprise, for example, anycommunication method between computing systems 102 and/or within aparticular computing system 102 (e.g., from an image buffer to adisplay). In some embodiments, input functionality may comprise, forexample, the receiving signals or data by a computing system 102 using astandard or non-standard communication method. In other embodiments,output functionality may comprise, for example, the communication ofsignals or data by a computing system 102 using a standard ornon-standard communication method. These terms may also refer to part ofan action, such as, for example, to “perform I/O” may involve performingan input and/or output operation. In some cases, devices forcommunication between computing systems 102 may be used to implementboth input and output functionality.

Interface 114 may comprise, for example, any device(s) that may be used(e.g., by a person, or by another device or system) to communicate witha particular computing system 102. For example, keyboards and mice maybe considered input interfaces 114 of some computing systems 102, whilemonitors and printers may be considered output interfaces of somecomputing systems 102.

FIG. 2 is one embodiment of a flowchart 200 illustrating example stepsthat may be implemented by the data processing system 100 of FIG. 1. Ingeneral, flowchart 200 includes steps related to developing a strategyof objectives, risk management, compliance management, projectmanagement, portfolio management, performance management, and ideamanagement. Although this example is explained in the context ofsustainability, manager application 150 may be capable of facilitatingthe management of a variety of alternative objectives.

In step 202, sustainability objectives may be defined. For example,manager application 150 may prompt a user to input environmentalsustainability objectives. In certain embodiments, manager application150 may prompt a user to input environmental sustainability objectivesby performing one or more of the following steps: asking the user aseries of questions, receiving user responses to the series ofquestions, determining various environmental sustainability objectivesthat may be related to the received user responses, and providing aselection of potential environmental sustainability objectives to theuser based on the determination. In a particular embodiment, objectivesfor an organization and/or a particular division of an organization mayinclude reducing the carbon footprint by a particular amount, reducingenergy consumption by a certain percentage within a particular timeframe, increasing renewable energy production, etc.

In step 204, risk attributes may be identified. For example, managerapplication 150 may prompt a user to input risk attributes. Riskattributes may include, for example, funding capabilities of anorganization, technical complexities of sustainability projects,environmental impact of various activities, and/or a variety of otherrisk attributes that may be related to the sustainability objectivesdefined in step 202. In particular embodiments, manager application 150may provide a user with an option to select from a set of riskattributes. The set provided to the user may be based upon thesustainability objectives defined in step 202. For example, managerapplication 150 may automatically perform a query or a lookup (e.g.,using data storage device 110) based upon the sustainability objectivesdefined in step 202 and manager application 150 may return acorresponding subset of risk attributes related to those objectives.Manager application 150 may be capable of providing a user the option toselect among the returned subset of risk attributes, to modify thereturned subset of risk attributes, and/or to input alternative riskattributes.

In step 206, compliance requirements may be identified. For example,manager application 150 may prompt a user to input measurableperformance expectations for the organization related to environmentalsustainability, such as, for example, internal policies related toenergy consumption and/or GHG emission reduction targets. Additionally,manager application 150 may prompt a user to input various parametersdescribing an organization and, in response to the user's input, managerapplication 150 may automatically output suggested compliancerequirements based upon a predefined relationship between thoseparameters and potentially applicable environmental regulations. Managerapplication 150 may further be capable of providing a user the option toselect among the suggested compliance requirements, to modify thesuggested compliance requirements, and/or to input alternativerequirements.

In step 208, potential projects are identified. In particularembodiments, each project generally includes initiatives, ideas, and/orplanned activities generally related to advancing one or moreobjectives. According to one embodiment, manager application 150 mayretrieve project submissions provided by various sources (e.g., via awebpage) that may be internal and/or external to an organization.Additionally, manager application 150 may enable a user to categorizeproject submissions and provide a GUI that is logically structured tofacilitate browsing for project submissions on particular topics, scope,costs, carbon mitigation, etc. Manager application 150 may further becapable of providing a user the option to add comments or otherwisemodify particular projects, to group projects (e.g., into folders and/orhierarchical directories), and/or to input alternative projects. Invarious embodiments, projects and/or their foundational ideas may becategorized using a hierarchical categorization.

In step 210, a potential project portfolio is identified. For example,manager application 150 may enable user to evaluate project submissionsand promote those projects deemed worthy of further examination bysubmitting scores, which may be received and recorded by managerapplication 150. In various embodiments, manager application 150 maysummarize project scores submitted by users and indicate those projectsconsidered to be the best possible initiatives. In addition, managerapplication 150 may be capable of automatically indicating, and/orenable a user to indicate, those projects that are most likely tofurther objectives identified in step 202. In some embodiments, managerapplication 150 may further be capable of providing a user the option toset and/or weight the scores of those projects indicated as being themost likely to further the identified objectives.

Step 210 may further include comparing environmental improvementprojects using a number of alternative considerations. For example,manager application 150 may prompt a user to input variousenvironmental, financial, and social considerations for particularprojects identified in step 208. According to one embodiment,environmental considerations may include the potential impact of aparticular project on the carbon footprint of an organization and/orresource optimization. Particular financial considerations may, forexample, be measured in terms of pure cost, return on investment (ROI),net present value (NPV), and projected breakeven point. Socialconsiderations may, for example, include an estimated score of howfavorably or unfavorably the project may be perceived by those holding astake in the organization (e.g., collected via supplier assessments,customer assessments, etc.). In particular embodiments, managerapplication 150 may be capable of providing a user the option to modifyor otherwise set and/or weight recorded scores in a manner that reflectsthese alternative considerations. In various embodiments, the comparisonmay be illustrated in a GUI dashboard.

FIG. 3 is one example embodiment of a GUI dashboard 152 that may be usedin step 210 to assist a user in identifying a project portfolio. In thisexample, potential projects are organized into rows according to athree-level hierarchy. Although this example includes a three-levelhierarchy, any other hierarchy may be used without departing from thescope of the present disclosure. In this example, the first four columns(e.g., cut costs, reduce carbon, enhance reputation, and increaserevenue) correspond to four identified high-level organizationalobjectives. As part of the project approval process, each potentialproject may be evaluated against the higher-level objectives and scoredas to how they are expected to align. If other project attributes (e.g.,ROI, projected breakeven point, etc.) are comparable, the projectsselected for execution may include those with the highest expectedalignment scores.

Based on one or more results of steps 202, 204, 206, 208 and/or 210,manager application 150 may be capable of providing holistic views thatmay be used to compare potential projects in terms of a cost/benefitanalysis. Using these view-based comparisons, a user may be able tostrategically select a potential project portfolio that includes thoseprojects anticipated to collectively optimize a cost-to-benefit ratio.Manager application 150 may further be capable of providing a user theoption to modify the composition of a project portfolio and/or groupprojects into alternative project portfolios.

Steps 212 through 220 generally relate to the feedback loop that may beused to capture, calculate, and/or measure information aboutenvironmental activity, impacts, and performance. In particularembodiments, this information may be used to inform the decision-makingprocess and to maintain or advance organizational objectives.

In step 212, a software object referred to herein as one (or more)instances of “source” is initialized. For example, manager application150 may prompt a user to input various characteristics defining diverseactivities of an organization, which in some cases may facilitatemeasuring the environmental impact of such activities. In variousembodiments, the characteristics defined in step 212 may be used toperform detailed sustainability analyses, as explained further below.

FIG. 4 is one example embodiment of GUI dashboard 152 that illustratesvarious types of activities of an organization that are each linked to arespective source object. In this example, air travel is partiallydefined in terms of miles traveled, electricity consumption from a powergrid is partially defined in terms of kilowatt-hours, and particularmanufacturing processes may be partially defined in terms of tons ofcoal consumed. Although particular examples of activities are disclosed,any other activity of an organization or division of an organization maybe evaluated without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.Each of these activities may directly and/or indirectly contribute tocarbon emissions. As shown in FIG. 4, each activity is further definedin terms of category. In some cases, activities may be defined in termsof location, which may be relevant, for example, if an organizationspans one or more power grids supported by different energy sources(e.g., coal-fired power versus renewable energy sources). Additionally,instances of the source object may extend into businesscharacterizations of an organization including, for example, revenue,inventory, and/or any other business-related basis that an organizationmight use to help measure the environmental impact of a business-relatedactivity.

As data processing system 100 records various activities, the pertinentcharacteristics of the source object are inherited or logically linkedinto the resulting activity. As such, the environmental impact ofdisparate activities may be readily quantifiable, aggregated, andcompared on an apples-to-apples basis. As illustrated in FIG. 5, forexample, manager application 150 may be capable of providing a GUIdashboard 152 that shows total energy consumption aggregated by sourceand year. Although this example compares energy consumption, any otherenvironmental impact comparison may be used without departing from thescope of the present disclosure.

In various embodiments, manager application 150 may enable a user tomodify characteristics of a source and may further respond to suchmodification by dynamically updating previously recorded data. As timeprogresses, source instances can be modified, added, and/or removed asdesired to meet the changing needs of an organization.

In step 214, a software object referred to herein as one (or more)instances of “emission factor” is initialized. For example, managerapplication 150 may prompt a user to identify, for each organizationalactivity tracked by data processing system 100, a representative valuethat relates the quantity of one or more GHG emissions released to theatmosphere (or some other sustainability factor) with an activityassociated with the release of that emission. In particular embodiments,emission factors may be expressed as the weight of pollutant divided bya unit mass, volume, distance, or duration of the activity emitting thepollutant (e.g., kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour ofelectricity consumed). Various emission factors may be dependent upondate, location, and/or source. For example, electricity consumption at aparticular location powered by a hydro plant may have a smaller emissionfactor for one or more types of GHG emissions than electricityconsumption at another location powered by a coal plant.

In various embodiments, the emission factor object structure may bedesigned to ensure an organization maintains critical data regarding anemission factor. For example, data processing system 100 may retain dataabout the emission factor itself, the source from which it is derived,and/or may allow the user to attach related documentation. In somecases, data is maintained to record the time-period relevant to theemission factor and/or a time-stamp of when the emission factor was lastexamined for accuracy. In particular embodiments, the granularity of theemission factor can be recorded as CO2e and/or as an individual emissiongas.

In various embodiments, manager application 150 may enable a user todefine multiple facilities of an organization using a straightforwardhierarchy. For example, a geographical organizational breakdownstructure (OBS) may be defined in terms of CompanyName→Region→Country→State/Province→City. The organization may be giventhe flexibility to define emission factors at any level of the hierarchyas appropriate. For example, an organization may have 175 facilitiesusing natural gas in North America (region) that can share the sameemission factor based upon reliable information about commercial gasfurnaces. Rather than tracking 175 separate records, the organizationcan set this once at the region level. In various embodiments, managerapplication 150 may be capable of automatically applying the recommendedemissions factor to all facilities within the region. Additionally,manager application 150 may enable a user to override this region-levelemission factor setting. For example, if a particular facility uses aspecial type of furnace, a user may be given the option to override aregion-based emission factor value by explicitly creating an emissionfactor for that facility. Manager application 150 may be configured toapply the most granular factor available, by default, therebypotentially enhancing accuracy.

In particular embodiments, manager application 150 may enable a user tomodify characteristics of an emission factor. Manager application 150may further respond to such modification by dynamically updatingrecorded data. As time progresses, emission factor instances can bemodified, added, and/or removed as desired to meet the changing needs ofan organization.

Because the emission factor object itself has information regarding theage of the underlying data, manager application 150 may be capable ofstoring stale data thresholds that ensure out-of-date emission factorsare not used. For example, if the explicit emission factor for a Bostonoffice has not been kept current and its review date is older than theuser-specified stale data threshold, then manager application 150 mayautomatically look further up the hierarchy to locate an emission factorthat is applicable to the Boston office.

Such a design may provide a variety of useful features. For example, thegeographic hierarchy of some emission factors may enable users ormanager application 150 to readily identify particular locations orregions that provide the cleanest energy. In some embodiments, managerapplication 150 may be capable of suggesting the hierarchy level foreach emission factor. In certain embodiments, users may be capable ofdetermining the hierarchy level applied for each emission factor.Additionally, emission factors that fall out-of-date may be flagged forreview by manager application 150, which may also store an audit traildocumenting who reviewed what emission factor and when. An organizationmay be allowed to set standards for how often emission factors should bereviewed. In some embodiments, users may be able to identify theemission factors used to determine emissions data for any given timeperiod using available emission factors history maintained by managerapplication 150. Yet another advantage is that setting stale datathresholds may mitigate the risk that the same old data is usedyear-after-year.

According to a particular embodiment, the processing of emission factorsin step 214 may be substantially similar to the following:

{ OBS /* Hierarchical OBS structure */ emission_factor /* documentedapplicable emission */ /* factor */ /* within OBS */ current_dateemission_factor_review_date /* Date Emission Factor was */ /* lastreviewed */ stale_data_threshold /* user-defined threshold for */ /*acceptable aging of emission factor */ emission_factor_for_activity /*emission factor multiplier that will */ /* be used to calc the actualemissions */ /* of the activity */ Read lowest level of OBS do { If(emission_factor exists) { If ((current_date −emission_factor_review_date) < stale_data_threshold) { Copyemission_factor to emission_factor_for_activity } Read next level of OBS} While (emission_factor_for_activity= null) }

In step 216, performance is measured. In various embodiments, managerapplication 150 may track relevant ecological activity of anorganization in a normalized format, referred to herein as the softwareobject “ecoActivity.” In particular embodiments, ecological activitiesof an organization that may be tracked by instances of the ecoActivityobject may, for example, include one or more of the following: wasteproduction; shipping; one or more manufacturing processes; business airtravel; water usage; the burning of natural resources (e.g., natural/LPgas, coal and/or diesel fuels); electricity usage; electricityproduction; and/or fugitive emissions.

Particular instances of the ecoActivity object may track these or otheractivities in terms of gas consumption, electricity consumption, carbonemissions, cost, employee headcount, affected square footage, ambienttemperature, a timeframe of the activity, and/or any of a variety ofother quantifiable elements that may or may not be directly related tosustainability. For example, manager application 150 may calculatecarbon emissions data in step 216 by linking an ecoActivity instance toa corresponding emission factor. In particular embodiments, thecalculated carbon emissions may be measured in terms of CO2e and/or asan individual GHG. In the case of business air travel or shipping, forexample, carbon emissions may be calculated as a multiple of distanceunits (e.g., miles or kilometers traveled), which may be at leastpartially defined by logically-linked source and emission factorobjects.

The normalized data structure provided via the ecoActivity object mayenable recording of various related data that can later be used asintensity metrics. In addition, ecoActivity may enable a user to exploitconfigured characteristics based upon the location and/or type of anactivity. As such, an instance of the ecoActivity object may inherituser-defined characteristics. Furthermore, the ecoActivity object mayenable a user to aggregate data at a variety of different hierarchicaland/or logical levels that may be reported in a variety of useful andflexible ways, as described further below.

Each instance of the ecoActivity object may be recorded in step 216 atany suitable level of granularity. In some embodiments, for example,instances may be recorded at a high-level for a particular country orregion. Alternatively, instances may be recorded at a more granularlevel, such as, for example, by facility, utility account, and/orindividual meter. In addition, instances may be recorded at any suitableperiodic intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly,etc.) and/or after particular events trigger (e.g., after completion ofparticular project milestones).

Step 216 may further include populating a portion of a projectperformance dataset by extrapolating estimated data based on actualmeasurements. In this manner, gaps within a dataset may be automaticallyor manually filled, thereby potentially enhancing analytical optionsavailable to a user. In particular embodiments, a user may be given theoption to either include or exclude extrapolated data from the resultsduring subsequent reporting. Further, a user may optionally identifyecoActivity data as non-aggregated, which in some cases may prevent thedata from being included in data aggregation.

In step 218, reports are generated. Throughout this document the term“report” generally refers to any collection of information provided to auser. In various embodiments, the report can comprise, for example, anaggregation and/or a dis-aggregation of information. The information maybe provided to the user in a computer-displayable format (e.g., in a PDFformat, as a dashboard 152, as a text message, etc.), in a tangibleformat (e.g. a computer printout, a fax, etc.), and/or any othersuitable format for display to a user. For example, manager application150 may be capable of enabling a user to interface with a variety of GUIdashboards 152 summarizing one or more of the project performancemeasurements recorded in step 216. In an alternative embodiment, reportsmay be generated in 218 that indicate performance of all or a portion ofthe organization in a manner that may not necessarily be defined orbounded in terms of projects. For example, a report may indicate one ormore of the following: the carbon footprint of the organization as awhole; energy consumption of particular facilities; shipping in terms ofnautical miles attributed to particular organizational divisions orproducts; and/or any other performance indicator(s) for all or a portionof an organization.

In particular embodiments, GUI dashboards 152 may enable a user toaggregate data at variety of different hierarchical levels. According toone embodiment, data may be aggregated according to the geographicalOBS. Additionally, data may be further aggregated according to a varietyof logical hierarchies. For example, FIG. 6 is an example GUI dashboard152 illustrating total energy consumption aggregated by year. FIG. 7 isan example embodiment of GUI dashboard 152 illustrating energyconsumption per headcount and aggregated by year.

In various embodiments, manager application 150 may provide a user withthe option to input metric data, which may contribute to the generationof key performance indicators (KPIs). In particular embodiments, KPIsmay be used to measure the progress of one or more projects in terms ofachieving identified objectives. In some embodiments, for example, KPIsfor environmental sustainability may include energy consumption, actualreturn, cost savings, reduction of particular GHG emissions, and/or anyother indicator that may be used to measure the progress of one or moreprojects in terms of achieving identified objectives. In addition,project performance may be measured in terms of project managementfeatures, such as, for example, schedules, milestones, tasks, andresource consumption. In various embodiments, KPIs may be used tomeasure the progress of all or a portion of an organization in a mannerthat may not necessarily be defined or bounded in terms of projects. Forexample, some KPIs may indicate one or more of the following: the carbonfootprint of the organization as a whole; energy consumption ofparticular facilities; shipping in terms of nautical miles attributed toparticular organizational divisions or products; and/or any otherperformance indicator(s) for all or a portion of an organization.

FIG. 8 is one example embodiment of GUI dashboard 152 showing variousKPIs for multiple objectives organized into rows according to atwo-level hierarchy. Although this example includes a two-levelhierarchy, any other hierarchy may be used without departing from thescope of the present disclosure. In this example, the KPI columnsinclude a trend column populated with arrow icons for each objective.The direction of the arrow indicates a positive, neutral, or negativetrend relative to sustainability objectives. Each KPI cell may bedrilled into (e.g., via a mouse-click selection) to see how the dataassociated with the underlying metric is progressing. For example,selecting one of the arrow icons of the trend column may reveal a trendline charting the available data values over time.

In particular embodiments, step 218 may include generating reportsrelated to stakeholder impact on sustainability. The term “stakeholder”as used herein generally refers to any customer, supplier, internal orexternal partner, employee, manager, nongovernmental organization (NGO),etc. that may impact, and/or be impacted by, environmentalsustainability decisions and/or activities of an organization. Invarious embodiments, a stakeholder software object may enableorganizations to maintain stakeholder related data and integrate suchdata into key business sustainability practices.

In various embodiments, stakeholder objects maintained by system 100 mayhave instances defining one or more of the following characteristics ofthe stakeholder: description; category (e.g., customer, competitor, NGO,etc.); owner of the relationship; nature of the relationship; fundsprovided by the stakeholder; approval power granted to the stakeholder;importance rating from an organizational perspective; objectives thatmay affect the stakeholder relationship; projects that the stakeholdermay have suggested to the company (whether formally or informally);past, present, or future projects that may impact the stakeholderinterest; how stakeholder interest may be affected by past, present, orfuture projects (i.e. positively or negatively); assessment activitiesinvolving the stakeholder; etc. FIG. 9 illustrates an example embodimentof dashboard 152 that may be used to display stakeholder data.

The stakeholder object may further enable a user or manager application150 to score the extent to which stakeholder interests align withorganizational interests and/or the extent to which such interests maybe optimally aligned. In some cases, this information may indicate thevolatility of particular stakeholder relationships. For example, if astakeholder is rated as important and the delta between actual andoptimal interest alignment is high, then manager application 150 maysuggest taking action to improve the relationship. Manager application150 may be capable of generating reports that indicate organizationactivities that have a significant impact on stakeholder interests.Thus, step 218 may include generating a variety of reports logicallylinked to particular stakeholders, which may be used, for example, tohelp shape the perception of sustainability efforts and objectives.

In various embodiments, stakeholder objects may be linked to one or moreprojects. In this manner, stakeholder interests may be a factorconsidered during the portfolio identification of step 210.Additionally, during the course of a project, various progress reportsand/or dashboards may be generated in step 218 and automaticallycommunicated to stakeholders. The relevant stakeholder identities foreach project may be readily determined using the linked stakeholderobjects. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, the nature of variousrelationships between stakeholders and projects may be defined. Forexample, the stakeholder “Building Technologies, Inc.” is shown ashaving or expected to have a very strong influence over the “buildinginsulation” project. As another example, the stakeholder “Employees” areimpacted only minimally by the “several consolidation” project.

Thus, customizable reports may be generated in step 218 using a varietyof different software objects that may be logically linked together. Invarious embodiments, the reports may provide feedback that informssubsequent decision-making process as flowchart 200 loops back to step202 or some other step in the process.

In step 220, assessments may be defined and executed. Each assessmentmay have any number of attributes. For example, particular assessmentsmay have one or more attributes selected from the following: date range;human rights; health and safety; labor management relations; diversityof workforce; water usage; applicable facilities; operationalboundaries; organizational boundaries; geographical boundaries; productsafety; supply chain; number of employees; carbon emissions; energyefficiency; waste; recycling; environmental safety; transportation;travel; and reporting.

Particular assessments may enable users to step back and objectivelydetermine how an organization is performing in a variety of differentareas. Some assessments may be initiated in response to the detection ofa problem related to one or more defined objectives. The format, designand purpose of an assessment can vary widely and may be highlycustomizable. FIG. 10 illustrates one example embodiment of GUIdashboard 152 illustrating various assessments performed by managerapplication 150.

In particular embodiments, manager application 150 may provide templatesthat can be used as a guide for creating and executing successfulassessments. For example, a collection of common assessment attributesmay be made available to users to jumpstart the assessment creation andprovide some fundamental traits from which to choose. These objectattributes can be concealed or added to the assessment view to meet thespecific requirements. Alternatively, manager application 150 may enableusers to generate customized assessments from scratch.

Although the type and context of the assessment can vary, the frameworkof linked objects provided by various embodiments generally enables avariety of features. For example, particular assessments may include theability to: generate assessment related activity records for monitoringprogress of data collection; align the assessment with a project tomanage associated costs, resources and progress; provide a record (e.g.,an audit trail) of organizational efforts surrounding the assessmenttype (e.g., past and present); spawn and track ideas created as part ofthe assessment findings; use ideas spawned by assessments to generateprojects; provide dashboard-type reporting of assessment progress (e.g.,GUI dashboard 152 of FIG. 10); preserve assessment results for auditing,which may be used to serve as a foundation for future assessmentiterations; attach key assessment documents, such as surveys andattestations; integrate with web-based data collection forms; collectdata using online questionnaires, surveys, etc., whether providedinternally within system 100 or externally by third party online surveyproviders, and/or some other ability related to assessing performance ofan organization.

Once an assessment is defined, the assessment may later be recalled tohelp instantiate a new assessment. Particular user-defined assessmenttypes can be instantiated as many times as needed as part of a processof ongoing monitoring and improvement. Each assessment may inherit theinnate capabilities of the parent assessment.

The components of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may beintegrated or separated. Moreover, the operations of the systems andapparatuses may be performed by more, fewer, or other components. Themethods may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps maybe performed in any suitable order. For example, although FIG. 2illustrates step 220 as an individual step within flowchart 200, inparticular embodiments the assessments described in step 220 may be usedto help identify risks in step 204, to identify sources in step 212, tomeasure performance in step 216, to notify individuals or sub-systems totrack sources for particular locations, and/or to enable a variety ofother features. In particular embodiments, all or a portion of the stepsdisclosed herein may be wholly automated, partially automated, and/orpartially performed manually. Particular operations of the systems andapparatuses disclosed herein may be performed using any suitable logicembodied in non-transitory computer-readable media. As used in thisdocument, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of asubset of a set.

Although the present disclosure has been described above in connectionwith several embodiments, a myriad of changes, substitutions,variations, alterations, transformations, and modifications may besuggested to one skilled in the art, and it is intended that the presentinvention encompass such changes, substitutions, variations,alterations, transformations, and modifications as fall within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

To aid the Patent Office, and any readers of any patent issued on thisapplication in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants wishto note that they do not intend any of the appended claims to invokeparagraph 6 of 35 U.S.C. §112 as it exists on the date of filing hereofunless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in theparticular claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for managingsustainability for an organization, the method comprising: storing onone or more memory modules of a computer system a plurality of instancesof an ecoActivity object, each of the plurality of instances of theecoActivity object representing an activity of the organizationaffecting environmental sustainability; storing on the one or morememory modules of the computer system a plurality of instances of anemission factor object, each of the plurality of instances of theemission factor object at least partially quantifying one or more greenhouse gas emissions as a function of one or more respective metrics;establishing a computer-based logical link between each one of theplurality of instances of the ecoActivity object and at least one of theplurality of instances of the emission factor object; receiving datarepresenting the one or more respective metrics for the logically linkedat least one of the plurality of instances of the emission factorobject; for each one of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivityobject, calculating using a computer unit one or more green house gasemission quantities based at least in part by applying, for thelogically linked at least one of the plurality of instances of theemission factor object, the function of the one or more respectivemetrics to the received one or more respective metrics; aggregatingtogether the one or more green house gas emission quantities calculatedfor at least two of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivityobject; and transferring data representing the aggregation of the one ormore green house gas emission quantities calculated for the at least twoof the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein transferring the data comprises transferring thedata in a computer-displayable format.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereintransferring the data comprises transferring the data in a tangibleformat.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective activity of atleast one of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object isselected from the group consisting of: waste production; shipping; oneor more manufacturing processes; business air travel; water usage;burning of natural resources; electricity usage; electricity production;and fugitive emissions.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data isaggregated using geographic data logically linked to each of the atleast two of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein the data is aggregated using categoricaldata logically linked to each of the at least two of the plurality ofinstances of the ecoActivity object.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising disaggregating the one or more green house gas emissionquantities calculated for at least one the plurality of instances of theecoActivity object.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the disaggregationis based at least in part on geographic data logically linked to the oneor more respective metrics of the respective one or more of theplurality of instances of the emission factor object logically linked tothe at least one of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivityobject.
 9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising softwareoperable, when executed by at least one processor, to: store on one ormore memory modules of a computer system a plurality of instances of anecoActivity object, each of the plurality of instances of theecoActivity object representing an activity of the organizationaffecting environmental sustainability; store on the one or more memorymodules of the computer system a plurality of instances of an emissionfactor object, each of the plurality of instances of the emission factorobject at least partially quantifying one or more green house gasemissions as a function of one or more respective metrics; establish acomputer-based logical link between each one of the plurality ofinstances of the ecoActivity object and at least one of the plurality ofinstances of the emission factor object; receive data representing theone or more respective metrics for the logically linked at least one ofthe plurality of instances of the emission factor object; for each oneof the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object, calculate usinga computer unit one or more green house gas emission quantities based atleast in part by applying, for the logically linked at least one of theplurality of instances of the emission factor object, the function ofthe one or more respective metrics to the received one or morerespective metrics; aggregate together the one or more green house gasemission quantities calculated for at least two of the plurality ofinstances of the ecoActivity object; and transfer data representing theaggregation of the one or more green house gas emission quantitiescalculated for the at least two of the plurality of instances of theecoActivity object.
 10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, whereinthe data is transferred in a computer-displayable format.
 11. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the data is transferred ina tangible format.
 12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, whereinthe respective activity of at least one of the plurality of instances ofthe ecoActivity object is selected from the group consisting of: wasteproduction; shipping; one or more manufacturing processes; business airtravel; water usage; burning of natural resources; electricity usage;electricity production; and fugitive emissions.
 13. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the data is aggregatedusing geographic data logically linked to each of the at least two ofthe plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object.
 14. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the data is aggregatedusing categorical data logically linked to each of the at least two ofthe plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object.
 15. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the software is furtheroperable, when executed by the at least one processor, to disaggregatethe one or more green house gas emission quantities calculated for atleast one the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object.
 16. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the disaggregation isbased at least in part on geographic data logically linked to the one ormore respective metrics of the respective one or more of the pluralityof instances of the emission factor object logically linked to the atleast one of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object.
 17. Adata processing system for managing sustainability for an organization,the data processing system comprising: at least one processor; and oneor more memory modules collectively storing: a plurality of instances ofan ecoActivity object, each instance of the ecoActivity objectrepresenting a respective activity of the organization affectingenvironmental sustainability; a plurality of instances of an emissionfactor object, each instance of the emission factor object at leastpartially quantifying one or more green house gas emissions as afunction of one or more respective metrics; one or more logical linksassociating each one of the plurality of instances of the ecoActivityobject with a respective one or more of the plurality of instances ofthe emission factor object; and logic operable, when executed by the atleast one processor, to: receive data representing the one or morerespective metrics for the logically linked at least one of theplurality of instances of the emission factor object; for each one ofthe plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object, calculate using acomputer unit one or more green house gas emission quantities based atleast in part by applying, for the logically linked at least one of theplurality of instances of the emission factor object, the function ofthe one or more respective metrics to the received one or morerespective metrics; aggregate together the one or more green house gasemission quantities calculated for at least two of the plurality ofinstances of the ecoActivity object; and transfer data representing theaggregation of the one or more green house gas emission quantitiescalculated for the at least two of the plurality of instances of theecoActivity object.
 18. The data processing system of claim 17, whereinthe data is transferred in a format selected from a computer-displayableformat and a tangible format.
 19. The data processing system of claim17, wherein the respective activity of at least one of the plurality ofinstances of the ecoActivity object is selected from the groupconsisting of: waste production; shipping; one or more manufacturingprocesses; business air travel; water usage; burning of naturalresources; electricity usage; electricity production; and fugitiveemissions.
 20. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the datais aggregated using data logically linked to each of the at least two ofthe plurality of instances of the ecoActivity object, the logicallylinked data selected from the group consisting of geographic data andcategorical data.